3-1-09

"LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION"

Rev. Jim Petersen

3-01-09-

First Congregational UCC- Great Falls, MT

Text: Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Matthew 4:1-11

It is liturgically appropriate early in Lent to face the temptations. Like it or not, it is a part of Lent, as well as life. So let's get it over with. First Sunday of Lent. Temptation.

Of course, everyone is tempted at one time or another, this we know. It is a subject none of us escapes. As no less an authority than the Farmer's Almanac says, "Don't worry about avoiding temptation - as you grow older it starts avoiding you."

But somewhere in the stages of life, each of us is tempted, perhaps some stages more than others. By the way, if you are in that stage in which you have outgrown temptation, you have my permission to snooze during this sermon. In fact, you probably need to do so.

Temptation - for most of us an appropriate subject any time of year. But we save it for Lent, this seasonal opportunity for self-examination, if not confession.

The great Russian writer/philosopher Dostoevsky said the Temptation story in the Gospel is one of the most important stories in the entire Bible. I can understand why Dostoevsky said this, for he was keenly aware and wrote about the inner struggles that go on within the human being between freedom and morality, which is what temptation is, the clash between "doing our own thing" and a sense of a greater moral law.

That clash is personified in Dostoevsky's "The Grand Inquisitor," you remember perhaps from high school lit., where a shop-keeper sees a boy hanging outside his store where there is a tempting display of fruits and vegetables. The shop keeper, reading the longing expression on the youth's face, goes out and accosts the boy, "What are you doing, young man? Trying to steal my apples?"

"No, sir," replied the boy, "I am trying not to steal your apples." The inner struggle between what we want and what we know is right. What adolescent doesn't know this? Nay, what adult does not know this?

It's a weird story in the Bible, the Temptation story of Jesus. It's at the beginning of the Gospels, you know, as if to say, temptation has always been around. Jesus is first of all baptized, proclaimed God's "beloved son," of whom it is announced God is "well pleased." It doesn't get any better than this. Good start for the Gospels!

And immediately, turn the page, next chapter, Jesus is in the desert being tempted by the devil.

This is bizarre. Contrary. Don't you think?

First of all, these are Jews. You would expect a party to follow the baptism, with some drinking and dancing, and a few joyful rounds of hava-nagila, which means "Let us rejoice." Yes, one would expect some rejoicing following the baptism, as is the Hebrew custom.

But no, it's not here. In fact, the whole episode is reversed, don't you think? It is turned around, as is so much of Christianity, it is contrary to what we might expect.

We would expect, first the temptation, with Jesus showing great fortitude and refusal, and then God rewarding Jesus, saying, "Ah, ha, see, I told you, this is my beloved son," and baptizing Jesus following the victory over temptation. But instead it is reversed. Jesus is baptized first. Then he is tempted. Baptized, then driven into the wilderness, not be the devil, mind you, but by the Holy Spirit. Do we get this?

Here it is. In the baptism: Jesus is gifted with power. Jesus is anointed with authority. Jesus is granted position, purpose and prestige, "my son, with whom I am well pleased."

In summation: in baptism Jesus is blessed with the abundant gift of life. So the question becomes - how to use it? It is not the devil's question. It is God's question. The gift of life given, now how will you use it? It is tempting. Do I use my power to build up others or beat up others?

Do I use my authority to lift up others or Lord over others? Do I use my position and purpose to give things or get things? What to do with the gift of life? It is tempting. We know it, so well, we even name this temptation. We call it "the devil."

Yes, the temptation of Jesus follows the baptism of Jesus. And, on second thought, this actually makes sense. In the baptism Jesus is given "the kingdom and the power and the glory." It raises big questions. It is tempting. Is this gift all about me or is it all about God?

The Temptation story tells us something else. It tells us Jesus is like us. As Paul put it to the Hebrews, "In all ways he was tempted as we are tempted." Which is disturbing, for to say that Jesus was tempted, yes, even Jesus, how can we escape admitting we are tempted too? So this temptation story is our story as well. We would do well to listen up.

I believe most of us believe we have transcended temptation, and not because "we have grown too old," but from our position of sophistication, temptation is something uptight, prudish Puritans worry about. As moderns we have put this behind us, worked through the guilt trip of the church, and are now free to do our own thing. It is only wrong when the other guy does it. Which means we have forgotten our high school literature lessons back when we were reading

Dostoevsky, say, Crime and Punishment.

However, we cannot deny that Jesus came into the world offering a different way than the way the world was "doing its own thing." It was the followers of Christ who became conscious of the difference. This is why they said, "We are in the world, but not of the world."

They knew the difference. They had seen a better way. They had seen the way of Christ, and had chosen this way for themselves. To be a follower of Christ meant to be contrary to the culture of the world. Hardly the stuff of pansies or prudes. It took courage. It required sacrifice to follow Christ. For you stood out, as well as against. And you were punished for it.

But we don't hear this much anymore. At least not in the popular places peddling Christianity. They don't talk about sacrificing yourself for Christ. They talk about what Christ can do for you.

In fact, as a part of the televangelists' testimonies they parade out successful persons who give credit to Christ for their success in the world, as if to say God loves them more than the competitors they beat.

Which is really amazing, as well as annoying, for you read the New Testament and you don't get a hint of this anywhere. Nowhere does it say if we follow Jesus we will be successful in this world. What it says is, if we follow Jesus, we will be weird in this world. There is quite a difference.

The fact is, being successful in this world is the temptation put to Jesus. The Devil says, "You can have it all, my friend. All the bread and butter you want - it's yours. All the power and wealth you can imagine - it's yours. All the kingdom you can carry - it's yours. As far as the eye can see...yours, yours, yours."

"Don't disturb yourself," the Devil drivels on, "the tension you feel between the goals of God and the glitter of the world. Work with me, pal, and you'll have so much gold you won't need God. You'll be popular, and they'll crown you king of the kingdom. They'll worship you, if only you worship me."

The Devil even quotes scripture to support his argument, right here in the Bible, quotes a couple of Psalms, which I take as a warning not to trust every Bible thumper and to show us how subtle and slippery temptation can be.

Jesus answers the Devil with scripture, himself, a lesson that we do need to know the book as well, saying, "The scripture says, ?Worship the Lord your God and serve only God.'" Which is really the first Commandment, isn't it? There is only one God. One. "Choose this day whom you will serve."(Deuteronomy 30:19)

Read the book. Scripture is not here to sanctify the way the world is now. Scripture is here to give us a vision of the way the world can be. If we read the teachings of Jesus and come away saying, "This is preposterous. It is impractical, unrealistic. This will never work in the world." Then we are beginning to get the message and understand the teachings. Jesus did not come to tell us to keep doing it the way we are doing it. He came to show us another way.

When we try to accommodate his teachings to the world, when we try to interpret them so they fit into the way things are now, when we try to make them rational, successful by the world's standards, and cost-effective so it costs us nothing and gains us a lot, then we are beginning to understand temptation. This is what the Devil tried to get Jesus to do.

The Devil said, "Ease up, dude. Make it more attractive. Make it more rewarding. Sell success, not crosses, and the people love it. They will love you and come to worship you." And Jesus said, "No deal, Devil."

The Devil said, "That's too bad, bud. I could have made you a star. You could have been great upon the face of the earth. Instead you'll be lonely. You'll stand out and alone. And they will turn against you. Don't say I didn't tell you."

Turns out, the Devil was right. For as scripture says "The devil left (Jesus) for a while." Which is also to say, the Devil would be back.

But for Jesus, he leaves the desert and the devil, the wilderness and temptation, behind and begins the ministry for which he was baptized. He returns to Galilee, goes to his home synagogue in Nazareth, and preaches his first sermon. His chosen text is from the prophet Isaiah, about bringing good news to the poor, about bringing liberty to the captives, about bringing sight to the blind, and freedom to the oppressed.

Isaiah's prophecy is a picture of the way God wants the world to be. It is a mandate of what God expects God's people to be about. Jesus shares this truth with the crowd in Nazareth. He tells them in order to realize this vision they are going to have to change their ways.

The home town folks wonder what seminary Jesus attended. They are not about to change their ways. Instead they send Jesus' on his way. They escort him to the edge of town and bid Jesus farewell. Says Jesus, "A profit is not without honor, except in his home town." He was too much for them, and ultimately for most people.

The point is: you start telling people there is a better way to live, and you start going against the crowd. They won't like it. It is better, wiser, to go along with the crowd. This is the wisdom of the world. And this is the temptation. The devil is never far away.

As the saying goes, "Following the path of least resistance makes both rivers and persons crooked."

What I want to point out to you on this first Sunday of Lent, season of self-examination, is the tension between the way the world is and the way the world is intended to be .

And if we don't see this, then maybe we have accommodated our understanding of Christianity to fit the way the world is, rather than using our faith to transform the world to fit the

If you want an example of this, I will give it to you in two words: Greg Mortenson (Three Cups of Tea). Wasn't his presentation special, for those of you who saw it? And his message refreshing? Imagine, building schools, instead of bombs. Imagine influencing the world through education instead of fear. Imagine using "pennies for peace," and respect and relationships to produce prosperity.

Can you imagine Greg Mortenson, a humble, stumbling Minnesota Lutheran, receiving the Nobel Peace Prize? For here is an example of someone who has pretty clearly said "No" to the temptations of the world and "Yes" to a path in life which would surely please Christ.

Can you imagine? Well, yes, we can. By God ,we can imagine! "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen."